cannabisnews.com: Dearborn Lets Cop Quit Without a Drug Charge
Dearborn Lets Cop Quit Without a Drug Charge
Posted by CN Staff on May 11, 2007 at 08:27:09 PT
By Jennifer Dixon, Free Press Staff Writer
Source: Detroit Free Press
Michigan -- Dearborn police declined to pursue criminal charges against an officer last year, even after the cop admitted to taking marijuana from criminal suspects and, with his wife, cooking it up in brownies.Then-Cpl. Edward Sanchez was allowed to resign from the department, but he was not charged with a crime. He declined to comment Wednesday.
His wife, Stacy Sanchez, admitted to police investigators that on another occasion she removed cocaine from her husband's police cruiser -- drugs purportedly earmarked to train police dogs -- and used it during a three-week binge. She, too, has not been charged criminally. Dearborn Police Cmdr. Jeff Geisinger left a phone message with Free Press reporting partner WDIV-TV Local 4 saying Sanchez resigned during an internal investigation. Geisinger did not return subsequent calls asking why Sanchez was not prosecuted.The decision not to charge Sanchez upset Dearborn Councilman Doug Thomas, who said the department's inaction sends the wrong message to the public."If you're a cop and you're arresting people and you're confiscating the marijuana and keeping it yourself, that's bad. That's real bad. That's like apprehending a bank robber and keeping some of the money for yourself."He promised to investigate."It doesn't add up here," Thomas said. "If he was allowed to resign with no action, he can apply for another police position. There's all kinds of ramifications."The department's investigation began with a bizarre 911 call from Sanchez's home in Dearborn Heights. On the night of April 21, 2006, a panicky Sanchez told an emergency dispatcher he thought he and his wife were overdosing on marijuana."I think we're dying," he said in the 5-minute tape, obtained under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act."We made brownies and I think we're dead, I really do," Sanchez continued.He told the dispatcher he had never made marijuana brownies before, but had previously used marijuana.Then, he asked the score of the Red Wings game on television that night, explaining, "I just want to make sure this isn't some type of, like, hallucination that I'm having."When later questioned by police investigators, Sanchez said his wife took the marijuana out of his police vehicle while he was sleeping, and she told investigators she tricked him into eating a pot-laced brownie."Cpl. Sanchez was insistent that he would never ingest marijuana or any narcotics intentionally," an investigator wrote.But in a subsequent interview, Sanchez acknowledged he fetched the marijuana from his car, put it in the brownie batter, and ate the brownies.Sanchez also said he took the marijuana "off the street from unknown persons," investigators wrote."I questioned him in detail about how many times and what types of narcotics he seized without arrest," the report said. "He was adamant that he only seized marijuana, and it was on a few occasions. Cpl. Sanchez stated that it had been over a year since he seized this marijuana and that the marijuana was taken to train his K-9," or drug-sniffing dog.Wayne State University criminal law professor David A. Moran said Sanchez's behavior was problematic -- as was the Police Department's decision not to charge him."An officer has a duty to enforce the law and if an officer finds someone in possession of illegal narcotics, he has a duty to seize the narcotics, arrest the persons ... and properly dispose of the contraband if no charges end up being filed," Moran said.Moran said it is a criminal offense in Michigan for officers to fail to perform their duties."It is not as unusual as it should be for the police to look the other way when an officer commits an infraction, but this is a lot worse than the average police officer speeding a little bit," Moran said.Complete Title: Dearborn Lets Cop Quit Without a Drug Charge in Marijuana Brownie CaseSource: Detroit Free Press (MI)Author: Jennifer Dixon, Free Press Staff WriterPublished: May 10, 2007Copyright: 2007 Detroit Free PressContact: letters freepress.comWebsite: http://www.freep.com/Related Article:Officer Avoids Charge After Eating Pot Brownieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22967.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by user123 on May 12, 2007 at 10:49:39 PT:
Ahh, Brownies
Had been smoking for over 2 decades before I had a MMJ brownie from a San Francisco club. The effects were intense to say the least. I was sitting in the dark on the couch wathing the tube waiting for my girlfriend to come in so that we could start the movie. About ten minutes later, I noticed that she had been sitting next to me all along! I never ate a whole MMJ brownie again. Just a quarter to half of one was plenty from then on out. Plus you gotta drink A LOT of water when ingesting. Few years later I got the girlfriend to try a quarter piece, she freaked & has never tried it again. Won't even talk about it.
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Comment #13 posted by mayan on May 11, 2007 at 17:22:02 PT
Cops
It's said they're not dumb because they're cops - they're cops because they're dumb. No offense to the 1% who are decent cops.Maybe they should just stick to doughnuts.
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Comment #12 posted by cannabliss on May 11, 2007 at 14:44:42 PT
Feelings Confirmed
I always felt cannabis enhanced the hockey-viewing experience...seems to increase the intensity.Looks like I'm not alone ;-)
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on May 11, 2007 at 10:05:03 PT
dongenero
I agree. You can't cop out with Cannabis.
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Comment #10 posted by dongenero on May 11, 2007 at 09:57:01 PT
mindset
Although no matter how many trillion times more potent the antis claim cannabis is now, it is nothing close to the LSD experience.Not that that makes the LSD experience an inherently bad nor good thing. It is what you make it but, it should not be taken lightly. I believe it should only be taken with great care and consideration. It is a powerful psychedelic. Guidance helps tremendously with LSD. Cannabis can be great for relaxation but if you have pressing issues you are denying, it can tend to wipe away those internal denials and cause anxiety. This is my opinion and experience, other's mileage may vary.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 11, 2007 at 09:42:50 PT
dongenero
I agree that a person's mindset is vital to a good or bad experience. Back when LSD was used legally by many people knowing how to trip was important. Keeping a person's mind on nice things and avoid negative thoughts was how it was suppose to be. Pot Parties were so common and people just sat and passed the pipe around and I never heard of any negative reactions by anyone.
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on May 11, 2007 at 09:29:19 PT
"Did you guys eat all the brownies?"
"Yeah, we did."Pause..."Ok.".I did laugh out loud at that part.Yes, indeed, he had a little trouble with how much he'd "bought", because he hadn't bought any at all. What a waste. Including the waste of some good herb that could have been very helpful to someone else.Oh man...and I cringed at "My mother-in-law just got here, too."Aaack!
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Comment #7 posted by dongenero on May 11, 2007 at 09:29:00 PT
ingesting cannabis
My understanding is that ingesting cannabis can lead to a more intense reaction like this. Ingesting cannabis does not give you immediate feedback as smoking or vaporizing does so, it is more difficult to determine dosage.Of course, there is no toxic dosage so, one should really just try to relax and wait for the effects to diminish in a short while. Mindset has a bit to do with it too.Contrast this with virtually every drug including alcohol, with which too much a dose truly can be life threatening with the difference being you would be too impaired to care.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 11, 2007 at 09:23:10 PT
Another Oops Article
Report: Ricky Williams Tests Positive for Marijuana Againhttp://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-511williams,0,1422706.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on May 11, 2007 at 09:14:57 PT
Maybe I'll listen to it.
It makes me sad. But it would be a lot sadder if it wasn't some enforcer reaping his due. That part makes it kind of funny...yet...it's still more crap.
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on May 11, 2007 at 09:12:10 PT
The wife used cocaine...
Then freaked out on pot?Yes. Such happens. I knew a woman who had gotten severely addicted to hospital painkillers. She got in really bad shape and was in pain and going to the emergencey room to get shots of the drug...I don't know what it was...to relieve her horrible pain. It was a viscious circle. Her body made pain, seems to me, so she could have that drug and the cycle eventually nearly destroyed her. She was a mess, to say the least.She knew I had a little experience with the weed...and she, having been addicted to hard drugs, thought maybe she'd like the gentle herb.ACK!!! She flipped out. She freaked. She became suddenly worried that she couldn't care for her children (wrong)...which was, for her, the scariest thought and apparently, that idea released a flood of other scary thoughts. She was freaked...big time. She said she couldn't believe how strong it was (that old "weak" pot we used to smoke...you know your Father's or your Grandfather's pot). When she came down, she said she was shocked at how strong it was. She'd had no idea.She was horrified. I was, too, when I saw how afraid she was. She said it seemed much more powerful than the pharmeceutical that nearly killed her. Much more, she said. She couldn't believe it. It frightened her. She hated it. She didn't think she was dieing...but she was plenty afraid she'd really messed up, bad. (She knew what a drug that was really killing her felt like.)I talked her down. Comforted and assured her that everything was ok and it would be ok and it was.That "less powerful" drug she was getting from the doctors nearly killed her, but her body kept wanting more. That's an example of why many of us believe that some good pot...or even average pot....can get some people off hard drugs more gently and easily and safely than the way it's done...or not done...now.I knew another woman that flipped out when she first smoked. Her husband said, "No...I'm not taking you to the emergency room. You are not dieing. You'll be ok in a matter of minutes and over it, in an hour or so." Of course she was alright. Her husband loved her. He would have taken her to the hospital if she needed to go. He knew she didn't need to go. She never minded anyone else smoking after that...she would just smile and tell you about her bad experience, (which she laughs about now), and wasn't inclined to try it again, but for others...she had no objections.Pot is not for everyone. But it is sheer grace for some people. It can be like an angel bending down to touch you with peace. People should not be persecuted or arrested in any way for cannabis use.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 11, 2007 at 09:02:33 PT
Hope
On MSNBC they have been airing the recording and it seems to shock and entertain them. They laugh at how dumb he sounded and question why is he not charged when anyone else would be. It has been receiving lots of TV time.
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on May 11, 2007 at 08:45:10 PT
For some reason...
I think I don't want to hear that recording.It's really sad that they could have been so ignorant. Guess he should have done a little research or talked with a few "criminals", at least, before he pulled that stunt.End prohibition and stop the ignorance and sheer insanity of it all.On the one hand, it seems that this is laughable, since it's one of the Robo-Enforcers...but it's so sad, too. It's so sad because of what the government and society can do to a person because of using the powerful to some...but ultimately, gentle, plant. It's insane what's being done to people because they use this herb...or even want to use it. Maybe I'll listen to it. He stole that pot. He deserved a bad trip in my estimation. Instant Karma, as someone said.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 11, 2007 at 08:29:51 PT
Audio Recording from The Above Article
Listen to the recording of a 911 call to Dearborn Heights rescue from Edward Sanchez on the night of April 21, 2006. Sanchez, a Dearborn police officer at the time, told the dispatcher he and his wife had eaten marijuana brownies and thought they had overdosed. He also says he thinks he’s dead (at about 1:00 into the call) and asks the dispatcher for the score of the Red Wings game (at about 4:50 into the call). The Free Press removed some personal information from the call. You will hear a tone where information has been removed.Click here to download audio track:http://media.freep.com/audio/2007/0510potcop_freep.mp3
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